Argan Oil

Argan oil is a plant oil pressed from the kernels of the argan tree, Argania spinosa, native to Morocco and southwestern Algeria, whose traditional cultivation and processing were recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage practice in 2014. Producing just one liter of oil requires about 40 kilograms of dried argan fruit; traditional extraction dries the fruit, removes the pulp and recovers the kernels, sometimes after goats have eaten the fruit and passed the kernels, before the kernels are roasted, ground and pressed to release the oil. In Morocco it is used for dipping bread at breakfast and drizzling over couscous or pasta, and is combined with roasted almonds and honey to make the peanut-butter-like paste amlu. Since the early 2000s it has also become prominent in cosmetics, appearing in face creams, lip glosses, shampoos, moisturizers and soaps.